China has moved from flexing to squeezing. The People’s Liberation Army Navy now maintains a near-continuous ring of warships around Taiwan, including Type 055-class guided-missile destroyers, some of the most advanced surface combatants in Beijing’s fleet.
In May 2026, security tracking detected 250 Chinese naval vessels operating around Taiwan, the highest monthly figure since August 2024.
From exercises to encirclement
The pattern throughout May tells the story. Joint combat readiness patrols were logged on May 1, 6, 19, and 25, a cadence that suggests this is now closer to routine scheduling than reactive escalation.
The Type 055 destroyers are worth paying attention to. These are 13,000-ton warships carrying 112 vertical launch cells capable of firing anti-ship, anti-air, and land-attack missiles.
